Yesterday I was lucky enough to spend a bit of time out near a big expanse of water, in Silverdale, WA. Doesn’t being by the water both energize and soothe you? A very powerful and wonderful feeling. I’ve read that a huge portion of the world’s population lives within 50 miles of an ocean coast. I can understand that.

I particularly like this photo because it appears to be black and white (monochrome) but has no adjustment from RGB, is just straight from the camera on a gray late winter’s day. I’m calling it my my Best Post of the Week.

You might check out Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, A Piece of Heaven, Weekend Reflections,  Shadow Shot Sunday 2, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Skywatch Friday. Lots of photo talent out there! But do browse around here first, perhaps clicking on a new tag or category, or trying a search. Cloudscape, perhaps?

I have to admit, I love receiving flowers. I can never have too many in the house. While those with fragrance are definitely my faves, who can resist the sensuous curves and color of the florist’s red roses? Hope you had a loving Valentine’s Day.

Check out Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival and Ruby Tuesday 2, for more fun photos.

One of my neighbors has a rhodie that is the first to bloom in the area. Mid-February and showing flowers! How thoughtful of them to provide such cheeriness to people walking by.

For other floral finds, visit Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, Macro Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, and Pink Saturday if you have a minute. And if there is only one photo below, do click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner above for more.

The overlook in Normandy Park, Washington is just a neighborhood road at which you can gaze out at Puget Sound and see the sky. Sometimes the light shines on the water so beautifully. This is what it looked like the other day.

Visit Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, A Piece of Heaven, Weekend Reflections, and Skywatch Friday. You’ll be glad you did. And do browse here first if you have a few minutes.

Here’s a scenic photo for you; the view from a coffeeshop deck in Poulsbo, Washington. Ah, the sights of August! Can’t you just smell the fresh air?

You can find lots of neat photos at Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Watery Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, A Piece of Heaven, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, and Skywatch Friday. Thanks for visiting, and be sure to browse around this blog first!

Last week at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show I was lucky enough to see and photograph the exquisite bouquets in the daylit lobby area. I think that this year they were exceptionally beautiful. When you have such a stunning subject, it’s not too hard to make a really good photo (if I do say so myself!). As I always say, it’s not the camera. For some common-sense tips on how to take better photos that are not dependant on a fancy, expensive camera or complicated settings, you are welcome to download my “7 Secrets to Better Flower Photos” on the right.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you! This floral image expresses love and perfection to me. I hope you enjoy it. And even though not many people have commented yet on it, I love this image and I am calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, Mellow Yellow Monday, Thursday Challenge (Love), Ruby Tuesday 2, Macro Friday and Pink Saturday for other interesting and beautiful photos. Have fun! If you’ve arrived via a link and there is only the one bouquet photo below, click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner to see the entire blog. Thanks for visiting!

Yesterday I was at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, which is open through Sunday, volunteering at the booth for the Volunteer Park Conservatory. It was great to see such an outpouring of concern and support for Seattle’s threatened icon. Before my shift, of course I wandered around taking photos. The Orchid Society’s display with the big wooden structure evoking the facade of our beloved Conservatory and helping to celebrate its Centennial was the greatest. Here is one of their perfect orchid specimens.

Please visit Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Pink Saturday for lots of lovely pictures from around the planet. As always, a reminder to click on Sara’s Fave Photos above if you’ve arrived via a link and see only the one post below.

Just two short weeks ago we had an incredible ice storm, and today it was sunny and over 60 degrees out! I am just being perverse in showing this photo of the Japanese Coral Bark Maple branches coated in the ice—on such a lovely day as today. But I want to have one last (I hope!) look at real winter before we forge ahead into the burgeoning spring.

You’ll enjoy visiting Ruby Tuesday 2, Scenic Sunday, Thursday Challenge (Red), Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Watery Wednesday, A Piece of Heaven and Skywatch Friday. If there is only one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the entire blog.  

All my photos lately are of ice or other winter subjects, and I’m tired of it. Let’s have some summer sun! These picotee (different color on the petal edge) gladioli, or glads for short, were in my garden early one August, just about six months away from today. That means our Australian friends are seeing these for real! Our day will come, of course. Just you wait.

Lots of fun things to see at Mellow Yellow Monday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Pink Saturday if you love photography. Isn’t the internet wonderful? If only one photo is below, do click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner on top to see the whole deal here.

Even though the focus is a little softer than I’d like, this image of pink cyclamens from a recent Garden Club district meeting flower show pleases me. It’s funny how challenging it can be to photograph something that is so beautiful, graceful and perfect in person, so full of life and freshness, and make it convey even a small amount of that liveliness. You’d think the camera would just record it, but no. Such is the challenge of a person who loves to take photos of flowers.

Do wander over to Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival and Pink Saturday for more photo fabulousness. And of course, if there is only one photo below, you can click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner above to see the entire blog.

There’s a supermarket not too far from me (Renton, WA Winco, for the locals) that has a parking lot that is quite open and on a slope so that it just seems to have more light and sky than your average parking lot. I always look up when I am there, and this time I just loved how the trees and sky were doubled in the car windows. Hope you like it, too.

Visit Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), A Piece of Heaven and Skywatch Friday for more interesting photos. You can see all the photos here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

This is from the ice storm three weeks ago. That was really something. The ice was already beginning to melt when I finally was able to get outside to take some photos. We were lucky and our power never went out, although I heard later that people fairly close did lose power for a couple-three days. I am so very grateful we didn’t. I hope you get some every-day luck like that, too.

Check out Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday and Watery Wednesday to see other photos on a theme. Explore the full blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.